Army NCOs wearing rifle–green berets with organizational beret flashes—from right to left: 1st, 5th, 7th, and 10th Special Forces Groups—bearing the 1st Special Forces Regiment DUI
An Army officer wearing tan beret with 75th Ranger Regiment Beret Flash bearing polished metal lieutenant colonel (O-5) rank insignia
An Army chaplain wearing black beret with Department of the Army Beret Flash and Chaplain (Christianity) Branch Insignia
An Air Force airman wearing gray beret with Combat Weather Team Beret Flash and Crest
An Air Force officer wearing black beret with TACP Beret Flash and Crest bearing miniature polished metal captain (O-3) rank insignia
An Air Force officer and Army NCO wearing maroon berets with Joint Communications Support Element Beret Flash, the officer affixing his polished metal colonel (O-6) rank insignia and the NCO her unit's DUI
In the United States (US) military, a beret flash is a shield-shaped embroidered cloth that is typically 2.25 in (5.72 cm) tall and 1.875 in (4.76 cm) wide with a semi–circular base that is attached to a stiffener backing of a military beret.[1][2][3] These flashes—a British English word for a colorful cloth patch attached to military headgear—are worn over the left eye with the excess cloth of the beret shaped, folded, and pulled over the right ear giving it a distinctive appearance.[1][2][4]
Army soldiers and non-commissioned officers (NCOs) affix their distinctive unit insignia (DUI), regimental distinctive insignia (when no DUI is authorized), Sergeant Major of the Army collar insignia (when assigned), or Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff collar insignia (when assigned) to the center of their beret flash.[1][5] Army warrant officers and commissioned officers affix their polished metal rank insignia to the center of their beret flash while general officer's may choose to affix regular or miniature polished metal rank insignia.[1] To better distinguish them from other Army personnel, Army chaplains affix their polished metal branch insignia to the center of their beret flash.[1] Air Force commissioned officers who are in the security forces or are weather parachutists wear their beret flash in the same manner as the Army while tactical air control party (TACP) officers attach a miniature version of their polished metal rank insignia below the TACP Crest on the TACP Beret Flash.[4][6] Other Air Force airmen and NCOs assigned to an Air Force specialty code (AFSC) authorized to wear a military beret with a beret flash will affix either their beret flash or beret flash with crest, depending on the AFSC.[4] Joint beret flashes—such as those worn by the Joint Communications Support Element—are worn by all who are assigned, given their uniform regulations allow, and will wear them in the manner prescribed by the joint unit.[7]
The design of all US Department of Defense (DoD) beret flashes are created and/or approved by The Institute of Heraldry, Department of the Army.[8] When a requesting unit is entitled to have its own organizational beret flash, the institute will conduct research into the requesting unit's heraldry, as well as design suggestions from the requesting unit, in the creation of a unit or specialty beret flash.[9][10] Leveraging geometrical divisions, shapes, and colors a heraldic artist will create a design that will represent the history and mission of the requesting unit.[9][10] Once the unit agrees upon a design, the institute will authorize the creation of the new beret flash and will establish manufacturing instructions for the companies authorized to produce heraldic materials.[9][10][11][12] The institute will also monitor the production of the new beret flash to ensure quality and accuracy of the design is maintained.[9][10][11]
^ abcde"Department of the Army Pamphlet 670–1, Uniform and Insignia Guide to the Wear and Appearance of Army Uniforms and Insignia", Department of the Army, dated 26 January 2021, last accessed 6 December 2022 This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
^ abBeret Insignia of the U.S. Army, by William A Hudspeath, dated 1987, ASIN B06XD7DSY9
^"AR 670–1 1981 (OBSOLETE):Wear and appearance of Army uniforms and insignia", Department of the Army via Ike Skelton Combined Arms Research Library Digital Library, dated 1 November 1981, last accessed 21 November 2020
^ abc"Department of the Air Force Instruction 36-2903: Dress and Personal Appearance of United States Air Force and United States Space Force Personnel", US Department of the Air Force, dated 28 February 2023, last accessed 7 March 2023
^"11th ABN DIV vets pass unit legacy to newly minted 'Arctic Angels'", Defense Visual Information Distribution Service, by Derrick Crawford, dated 19 July 2022, last accessed 9 July 2023
^"First African-American Female Grey Beret", 93rd Air-Ground Operations Wing, by 1st Lt Katie Tamesis, dated 31 March 2022, last accessed 7 March 2023
^"Joint Communications Support Element–Government Organization", official Facebook page, last accessed 20 January 2021
^"Army Regulation 670–1 (2021), Uniform and Insignia Wear and Appearance of Army Uniforms and Insignia", Department of the Army, dated 26 January 2021, last accessed 11 April 2021
^ abcd"FAQs-Organizational Insignia", Department of the Army, The Institute of Heraldry, last accessed 28 August 2022
^ abcd"Big Picture: Your Army Reports: Number 10", US Army's The Big Picture (TV 713), hosted on PublicResourceOrg YouTube Channel, dated 1967, posted 31 December 2010, last accessed 28 August 2022
^ ab"TIOH Organization", Department of the Army, The Institute of Heraldry, last accessed 28 August 2022
^"Beret Flash and Background Trimming for the 346th Quartermaster Company"; Department of the Army, The Institute of Heraldry; SAAA-IHS; dated 16 December 2019; last accessed 28 August 2022
and 24 Related for: United States military beret flash information
Wear of the beretflash in the US military In the UnitedStates (US) military, a beretflash is a shield-shaped embroidered cloth that is typically 2.25 in...
The UnitedStates Army has used militaryberets as headgear with various uniforms beginning in World War II. Since June 14, 2001, a black beret is worn...
Troops began wearing berets as a part of the headgear of military uniforms in some European countries during the 19th century; since the mid-20th century...
red beret is a militaryberet worn by many military police, paramilitary, commando, and police forces and should not be confused with the maroon beret worn...
Insignia (UnitedStates Army) Tabs of the UnitedStates Army Uniforms of the UnitedStates Army UnitedStatesmilitaryberetflash List of UnitedStates Army...
United States military United States militaryberetflash Air Force Specialty Code Uniforms of the UnitedStates Air Force AFI36-2903: Dress and Personal...
The UnitedStates Army Special Forces (SF), colloquially known as the "Green Berets" due to their distinctive service headgear, is the special operations...
needed] Main articles:Phu Cat Air Base Security Forces and UnitedStatesmilitaryberetflash The "Falcon over crossed runways" is derived from the 1041st...
The black beret is a colour of beret, a type of headgear. It is commonly worn by paramilitaries and militaries around the world, particularly armored forces...
Regiment, wearing ASUs, representing the UnitedStates at the 2010 Moscow Victory Day Parade The beretflash of enlisted personnel displays their distinctive...
practice has fallen into disuse. Uniforms of the UnitedStates Marine Corps UnitedStatesmilitaryberetflash Luckwaldt, Adam (9 March 2019). "Marine Corps...
California State Military Reserve wears a uniform identical to their National Guard counterparts except for the unit patch, beretflash, and the "California"...
The maroon beret in a military configuration has been an international symbol of airborne forces since the Second World War. It was first officially introduced...
A flash suppressor, also known as a flash guard, flash eliminator, flash hider, or flash cone, is a muzzle device attached to the muzzle of a rifle that...
specialists (AFSC 1Z3X1) are currently the only UnitedStates Air Force specialty allowed to wear the coveted black beret as part of their daily duty uniform wear...
Forces Beret. The beret symbolizes the blood sacrificed by fellow Pararescuemen and their devotion to duty by aiding others in distress. The flash is a...
sporran, authorized by the Oregon Military Department. Berets of the UnitedStates Army Uniforms of the UnitedStates Armed Forces David Cole. Survey of...
ranger companies wore black berets with either unique organizational beretflashes or the 75th Ranger Regiment's BeretFlash and Distinctive Unit Insignia...
the beret as part of the uniform of various organizations. The use of the beret as military headgear is covered in a dedicated article, Militaryberet. Blue...
Green Berets have been deployed throughout the Sahara/Sahel region and western Africa, particularly on FID missions.: 304 In 2002, the UnitedStates created...
media related to Military uniforms of the UnitedStates. Military badges of the UnitedStates Awards and decorations of the UnitedStates Armed Forces I...
as the black beret with the red "State Defense Force" BeretFlash worn by some other states. Under Ohio law, members of the Ohio Military Reserve are guaranteed...
Global Information
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
